You have to realize that the generation of today, for the most part, could care less about the neigborhood theaters that existed years ago. They never knew what it was like, so they have no interest in it.

Of course it’s not apples to apples but for money you’ve got:
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Borough President Helen Marshall and some members of the boroughâ€™s City Council delegation helped break ground Tuesday on the Queens Museum of Artâ€™s $65 million expansion project (actually repurposes the existing building).
The RKO got a bit of a break yesterday with the announced ground breaking of a huge new complex of 12 story buildings called “One Fulton Square” adding 63,000 sf of retail space, because the first spade to hit the ground makes all subsequent development more difficult. In the nest 3 years Flushing Commons adds 235,000 sf of retail. Sky View Center adds 800,000 (that’s $815M not the $185M I said before)sf of retail and the just opened New World Mall adds 165,000 sf of retail. Add the RKO’s assumed 17,460 sf of retail and you’ve got over 1,280,000 sf of retail space going into an area described by all as over crowded already (even by Helen).
The large tarped space in Matt’s picture of the foyer probably has the crates of auditorium artifacts shown in an earlier pic. The balcony structure and stairways are intact and would be among the largest cost drivers if they were missing.

This photos absolutely tear my heart apart. Jeeze… is that first photo taken from under the balcony overhang looking at the bare orchestra floor? And the second shot appears to be the lobby ornamentation on the southern wall above the entry way from the street entrance foyer – is that some sort of construction shedding in front of it? The shot of the upper balcony also reveals all sorts of horrors perpetrated against the Moorish decor. God… and last time I saw a film at the Keith’s, it was in the balcony theater (a double feature of “A Boy and His Dog” and the documentary “Hells Angels Forever”) and I sat dead center in one of the first 5 rows – about where those 2 x 4’s are framed out in the last pic. Undoubtedly, a restoration project of the entire auditorium would be a pretty monumental undertaking that would require deep, deep pockets.

Wow, I take back my prior comments. These new photos are much worse than the current state of the Kings. Nonetheless, with enough money it is still salvageable. The question, of course, is where would it come from. It’s a terrible loss not just for Flushing but for the country.

The shame about the State is that it was in really good shape. They twinned it by splitting the balcony off from the orchestra and much of the original design was still in evidence in the balcony theater. Could have easily been restored and we would have retained at least some vestige of TImes Square’s rich cinematic history. But… that’s a lamentation for another page! There’s enough misery to rue over the Keith’s.

Ed, I didn’t realize the Amsterdam was closed for 12 years.I was a tourist and wanted to see the theater and the manager let me walk around. A Jane Fonda movie was showing. The theater pales to the beauty of the Keith’s. Dark wood everywhere except the lobby. I was also a tourist when the demo crew were taking apart the Times Sq. Paramount in the late 60’s. Now that was a major crime and should have never happened. It only got worse when the Loew’s State came down years later.

How about when the owners of the magnificent and historic Rivoli Theatre on Broadway and 49th Street erected scaffolding around the facade under the guise of giving it a good cleaning only to reveal when the scaffolding came down that the facade had been stripped of much architectural detail? This was a deliberate move to circumvent LPC review of the property for protection and cleared the path for its eventual destruction mere months later.

Thank you for posting the picture of the Keith’s auditorium. I had believed for to long that the auditorium was gone. I agree with Ed Solero, the Keith’s had a typical owner from hell. They obviously did as much damage they the could before the structure was given Landmark status. This tactic has been perpetuated for decades; Harry Macklowe tried this with Hudson Theatre, the Sutton Theatre facade was stripped by developers of a high rise, the Dakota Stables was ruined in the same way before demolition, just to avoid consideration by LPC. What is worse, city agencies do not talk to each other. The DOB will issue permits even though a building is being considered for protection.

Yes Ed, Huang was a D-Bag and I wish there was a law that alowed us to send people like him to jail for destroying such beautiful architecture; especially when we all knw that theaters like this will NEVE be built again. Every theater that is lost makes the remaining ones that much more valuable.

It was fortunate for the Kings that it didn’t have a malevolent owner who basically hired construction workers to rape and pillage the building’s interior. I’ve heard that gaping holes were punched through the floors in the mezzanine lounge area, exposing the rear rows of the orchestra section below. I have yet to see photographic evidence of those damages, but I’m sure those descriptions are accurate. So while it is rather remarkable that what we see in all of these current interior photos is in as good a condition as they seem, there are areas and details that we have not yet seen, which may paint an uglier picture. Still believe that the old place is salvagable, provided someone has the will and the means to do so.

I too was in the Kings (twice) in the last year, but have not been in the Keiths so I can only judge by the photos. The Kings auditorium was bad but not irrevocable. I have no doubt that the Keiths is in worse shape.

My understanding is that there were indeed gaping holes and pigeons living inside. It is why the New Amsterdam is always used as the main reference point when people say that a certain theater is “too far gone” for restoration. Of course, at the end of the day it always boils down to money and the New Amsterdam is the perfect example of what can be done if the will (and the funding) can be found. I could be wrong but wasn’t $70MM spent on Radio City’s restoration way back when and that theater was all in one piece and still put together. I do agree, however, that the Keiths auditorium looks to be in better shape than I expected to see; certainly not much worse than the Kings (also being renovated at a cost of $70MM).

Hey Bobby. The New Amsterdam actually shuttered in the early 1980’s and was left vacant for at least a dozen years before Disney swooped in with its restoration. And I do believe that there were leaks into the New Amsterdam – not sure if there were any gaping holes in the roofing or open exterior doorways, as there are at the Keith’s.

Wonderful photo Matt…I had no idea the theater was in such good shape considering it has been closed for so long. The New Amsterdam was used as a 2nd rate movie theater until it was bought by Disney and restored. But it was never left to the weather and empty for 1 day and the Keith’s looks as in good shape considering. It should never be used as a movie theater, those days are gone, but for live performances as it was designed to do.

Awesome shot on that site, Matt! LuisV… “we” may not have the resources to save this theater, but someone out there does. The problem is, the local politicians (unlike the Brooklyn BP) are not motivated to find anyone to restore this brokedown palace to its highest and best use.